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The Aggie War Hymn is the official fight song of Texas A&M University.
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History
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It was written by J.V. "Pinky" Wilson, one of many Aggies who fought in World War I. Wilson combined several Aggie yells then in use at the time into a song called "Good-bye to Texas University." It was sung frequently by a quartet Wilson organized after returning to Texas A&M after the war.
One night in 1920, several of the Aggie Yell Leaders heard Wilson's quartet singing the song, and asked him to let them submit it in a contest for a new fight song to be held that fall (after Wilson graduated). Wilson agreed, and the song, considerably jazzed up, was officially adopted that fall under its current title.
In 1997, the song was rated as the No. 1 college fight song by USA Today. It was also used by NASA Flight Director Terry Griffin to wake up astronauts in space from 1983 to 1995.[1]
The song is noted for beginning with Recall, an old bugle call, in two different keys. This is a nod to Texas A&M's past as a military school. Indeed, for many years, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band's halftime show has begun with the drum major shouting "Recall! Step off on 'Hullabaloo!'"
After the second verse, everyone links arms and legs and sways left and right to replicate the motion of a saw blade. This is called "sawing Varsity's horns off." When the song is sung during football games at Kyle Field, it causes the upper deck (including the press box) to sway. This usually unnerves reporters and writers who are covering their first Aggie game.
The song was also used as a wakeup call on Day 11 of space mission STS-121 for Texas A&M former student and mission specialist Mike Fossum.
Lyrics
The starting phrase of the song, "Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!" came from an Old Army Aggie yell written in 1907.[2] Texas A&M University president Jack K. Williams jokingly defined it as Chickasaw Indian for "Beat the hell out of the University of Texas"[3]
In 1928, Wilson wrote another verse at the request of several Aggie students who thought the original was too focused on the Aggies' rivalry with the University of Texas. This verse is now the first verse of the song but it never caught on, in part because many felt it sounded too much like an Ivy League song. To this day, the second (original) verse is usually sung twice.[4]
The second verse opens with "Good bye to texas university". These words were chosen since Aggies traditionally refer to their principal athletic rival, the University of Texas, as "texas university", or "t.u."
The first (unused) verse is bracketed below:
Hullabaloo, Caneck, Caneck
Hullabaloo, Caneck, Caneck
[All hail to dear old Texas A&M]
[Rally around Maroon and White]
[Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies]
[They are the boys who show the real old fight]
[That good old Aggie Spirit thrills us]
[And makes us yell and yell and yell]
[So let's fight for dear old Texas A&M]
[We're gonna beat you all to…]
[Chigaroogarem, Chigaroogarem]
[Rough, Tough, real stuff Texas A&M]
Good bye to texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
"the eyes of Texas are upon you"
That is the song they sing so well
Sounds Like Hell
So good bye to texas university
We're gonna beat you all to…
Chigaroogarem , Chigaroogarem
Rough, Tough, Real stuff, Texas A&M
Saw varsity's horns off
Saw varsity's horns off
Saw varsity's horns off
Short! A!
Varsity's horns are sawed off
Varsity's horns are sawed off
Varsity's horns are sawed off
Short! A!
WHOOP!
References
- ^ Foreman, Jim (2005-03-21). "War Hymn is fine the way it is, the spirit is with the students". The Battalion. http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2005/03/21/Opinion/War-Hymn.Is.Fine.The.Way.It.Is.The.Spirit.Is.With.The.Students-898386-page2.shtml. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- ^ "Traditions Trivia". Texas A&M University Student Government Association. http://traditions.tamu.edu/?q=node/15. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Ferrell, Christopher. "Williams' drive, humor spearheaded growth at A&M". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. http://theeagle.com/aandmnews/anniversary/1williamsbio.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
- ^ "School Songs". Texas A&M Singing Cadets. http://www.tamu.edu/singing_cadets/schoolsongs.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Texas A&M University |
- Aggie War Hymn sung on Studio B
- Editorial on War Hymn in The Battalion, the school newspaper
- Sound file (from Aggie Band web site)
- description in Kingman Daily Miner
- ESPN column on the wording
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